“My young friend, your close-quarters combat is truly… beyond words.”
Before Aya Tone could respond, the hundred-zhang Azure Dragon, previously soaring in mid-air, transformed back into Ao Yu’s true form, landing gracefully behind him.
In his hands, he held two mangled figures, missing limbs and looking utterly pitiable.
Yet, they were still alive.
“I’m a magical girl; don’t be so picky, alright?” Aya Tone retorted, a hint of annoyance in his voice.
A soft glow emanated from his Sunstone Regalia. As the warm light swept over him, all traces of blood vanished from his body.
One could even detect a faint scent of the sun if they drew near.
Purification.
A hundred ways to use Holy Light for seemingly nothing.
“Who are they?” Aya Tone asked, his curiosity piqued as he finally noticed the figures in Ao Yu’s hands.
He had to exert every ounce of his strength just to enter; how had these two managed to breach the spatial membrane?
“The former Deputy Director of the Demon Capital Regulatory Department, and the former Captain of the Demon Capital’s Second Assault Squad.”
“Oh, never heard of them.” Seeing that it had nothing to do with him, Aya Tone asked no further questions, his small head swiveling as he looked around.
Rather than these two individuals, he was far more curious about the spatial fruit—where exactly was it?
Since entering, the space had stabilized, making it impossible to locate any spatial distortions.
Ao Yu, naturally aware of what the young man was preoccupied with, reminded him, “The Dragon Heart *is* the fruit.”
“Really? Don’t lie to me, you know; I’ve eaten dungeon-specific fruits before!” Aya Tone said, a suspicious look on his face, yet his small hand honestly reached for the pile of flesh.
Ao Yu simply responded, “Heh.”
He scrutinized the two individuals in his grasp—two A-rank powerhouses. It was truly fortunate they had managed to survive the Flood Dragon’s clutches.
“Do either of you have anything further to say?”
“President Ao, did you… did you know my identity long ago…?” Deputy Director Wang, now gravely wounded, found every breath an agony.
After a moment of recovery, he continued, “That’s why… that’s why you ordered someone to leak the news of the S-rank spatial fruit to my people…”
Gone was the righteous indignation he’d displayed when standing atop the Natural Chasm.
What remained here was merely a dying traitor.
Having lost a significant amount of blood, his death was merely a matter of time.
“Not entirely foolish, I suppose. But even knowing it was a trap, wouldn’t the nation behind you still push you to leap into it?” Ao Yu taunted, a corner of his mouth curving sardonically.
He was merely the fuse; those behind them were the ones who lit the bomb, not him.
“Do you regret betraying Z-Nation?”
“Cough… You shouldn’t ask me. I’m a politician… Failure means death; it’s not a rare occurrence. Do you think I… cough, cough, cough…” Deputy Director Wang erupted into a violent fit of coughing, suddenly spitting out a mouthful of fresh blood.
Ao Yu calmly tossed him aside, leaving him to his own devices, to await his final moments.
Deputy Director Wang was right.
If you question a politician, even if they speak the truth, you will never believe them.
Yet, Ao Yu remained curious.
“What about you?” Ao Yu’s gaze fell upon Captain Gao.
Compared to Deputy Director Wang, Captain Gao’s condition was considerably better; though he had lost an arm, he could still be saved.
“President, please don’t mock a traitor like me,” Captain Gao said with a bitter smile.
To say he didn’t regret it would be a lie.
After all, who could truly face death without a single regret?
“Then for what reason did you betray Z-Nation? You were born here, you lived here. Was it truly worth it, all for that spy wife of yours?”
Captain Gao’s eyes widened in shock.
A look of profound shock flashed in his eyes, quickly replaced by a self-deprecating smile. “So, you already knew,” he murmured.
“That’s right, it was for her. We met and fell in love, and I believed she was just an ordinary woman. It wasn’t until yesterday that I discovered she was a foreign spy.”
Captain Gao’s eyes were filled with memories. “I loved her deeply, but I also loved my homeland. Do you know? From the moment I stepped in here, I never intended to leave alive.”
“I am a coward.”
Ao Yu remained silent for a long moment, then let out a sigh.
No longer bothering to conceal his inner fury, he casually flung Captain Gao heavily onto the ground.
The impact on his back forced the gravely wounded Captain Gao to involuntarily cough up a mouthful of blood.
Ao Yu stared coldly, his large foot pressing down on Captain Gao’s broken body, his eyes blazing with killing intent as he rebuked, “You’re not a coward; you’re an absolute idiot! Did you truly believe your actions could save her? The faction she belongs to wouldn’t spare her simply because of what you’ve done.”
“Furthermore, you betrayed your own nation and harmed your comrades. You might be dead, and that might be the end of it for you, but your teammates will suffer the scorn of everyone in your stead!”
“Do you understand?!”
More than anyone else, he yearned to kill this brainless scoundrel!
“I!” Blood surged back into Captain Gao’s throat, making him cough as he tightly furrowed his brows, tears streaming from his eyes.
He hadn’t considered so much; he had merely wanted to use his own life to atone for his wife’s actions against the nation.
Therefore.
That was why, when Deputy Director Wang proposed cooperation, he had agreed.
His aim was to drag everyone down with him, ensuring mutual destruction!
The S-rank spatial fruit of his nation absolutely could not fall into the hands of another!
His teammates… he had failed them…
“Hmph!” Ao Yu snorted coldly, then kicked him, sending him flying to land beside Deputy Director Wang, no longer paying him any mind.
He feared he wouldn’t be able to resist killing Captain Gao himself.
As for wanting to die?
Hah!
Dream on!
****
“Wow! Big brother, big brother, the Dragon Heart really looks like a fruit! How did you know?”
At that moment.
Aya Tone, cradling a fruit the size of a human head in his hands, excitedly lifted it high.
Watching the energetic young man not far away, the killing intent in Ao Yu’s heart slowly receded.
“I guessed.”
The energy within this S-rank dungeon, having been plundered for years, was now infinitesimally close to depletion.
In such circumstances, for a Flood Dragon with the potential to become a true dragon to still be nurtured here was remarkable.
Thus, the location of the fruit was obvious.
“Stop playing around and get to the real task!”
Upon hearing Ao Yu’s urging, Aya Tone finally remembered the ‘real task’ was yet to be done.
With a sheepish grin, he retrieved a gift box from his four-dimensional space, which he had casually tossed in there at some point.
He then carefully placed the heart-shaped fruit inside.
Although this fruit possessed spatial attributes, it was entirely contrary to a core spatial artifact. It was a phenomenon where the energy was completely contained; outwardly, it appeared calm, yet internally, it raged with a tempest.
Having secured the item, Aya Tone stretched languidly.
His magic power converted into starlight magic, and his Regalia transformed into the dark, elegant short dress.
“Farewell, little gold mine!”
Aiming his gun at the towering mountain, Aya Tone felt a pang of reluctance in his heart.
But alas, the other party had offered far too much.
He tilted his head slightly. “Starlight Breaker.”
*Boom!* Starlight suddenly erupted within the mountain, sending massive boulders tumbling down.
As Aya Tone’s magic power was depleted, the towering mountain swiftly dwindled, becoming nothing more than a struggling pile of small mounds.
‘Oh, right, what I’m doing seems a bit too obvious.’
With that thought, Aya Tone ‘accidentally’ stumbled, and his magic staff ‘unluckily’ pointed downwards.
The last remaining small mound was instantly reduced to ashes, vanishing from this world.
“Boom!”
Simultaneously, the entire dungeon shook violently.
‘Ah, another S-rank dungeon destroyed.’
Aya Tone’s heart bled at the thought—this was all money…
‘Oh, wait, this money isn’t mine.’
‘Then it’s fine…’