“Shurima! Your Emperor has returned!” declared Aya Tone, pushing open the door of the isolation room with an eagerness akin to a tiger released back into the wilderness after a day of confinement.
‘A whole night! Do you even comprehend what I went through during that entire night?’ she inwardly fumed.
Having never sustained her female form for such an extended duration—a grueling thirty hours in total—Aya Tone found herself utterly tormented, especially by the need to attend to basic physiological requirements.
Once this mission concluded, she vowed to catch the next red-eye flight home without delay.
The secretary, trailing behind, offered a faint, knowing smile.
‘Ah, the boundless enthusiasm of youth,’ she mused, ‘a stark contrast to my own waning drive as a mother.’
“Miss Aya, the President wants us to go to the conference hall on the fifth floor first.”
At the secretary’s words, Aya Tone momentarily stiffened before instinctively gravitating back to her side.
The White Tiger Guild was vast, and the prospect of getting lost and becoming a laughingstock was a truly mortifying one.
‘Maintaining a dignified composure is simply the prudent course of action,’ she rationalized.
‘Yes, precisely! It’s certainly not because I’m intimidated by Bai Xiao… Not at all…’
Upon their arrival at the conference hall, Aya Tone and the secretary found the space already bustling with a multitude of people.
‘A well-placed grenade here would certainly be exhilarating!’ Aya Tone mused, a dark thought flitting through her mind.
Yet, it remained merely a fleeting fantasy, for not a single individual within that hall was to be underestimated.
Consider her own secretary, for instance: were an actual grenade to be deployed, it would undoubtedly be reduced to dust before it even detonated.
‘Do not inquire how I know this,’ she sternly cautioned herself.
‘I experimented last night…’
“Get in here and take your seats, quickly!” Bai Xiao commanded from the stage, her gaze immediately pinpointing Aya Tone as she was escorted in by the secretary.
“Let’s proceed,” the secretary murmured.
“Oh, right, yes!” Aya Tone responded, falling into step behind her as they made their way to the very front of the expansive hall.
“Miss Aya, please take this seat,” the secretary offered, thoughtfully pulling out a chair.
Once Aya Tone was settled, the secretary discreetly returned to her designated position beside Bai Xiao.
“Let us begin with a brief self-introduction,” Bai Xiao stated, her gaze sweeping across the assembled group.
“I am Bai Xiao, President of the White Tiger Guild and the supreme commander for this upcoming raid operation.
It falls to me now to outline the strategic arrangements for our endeavor.”
Every eye in the hall fixed upon Bai Xiao with an air of profound gravity.
Having been selected as part of the raid team, they were acutely aware of the perils that lay ahead.
Yet, they had no other recourse, for behind them lay the very families they sought to protect.
“Firstly,” Bai Xiao announced, her voice resonating with authority, “this operation will deploy a formidable force of three S-rank combatants, myself included.
These three S-rank adventurers will lead separate squads, each departing from a distinct direction.
Their mission is to locate the dungeon core with utmost speed and utterly obliterate it!”
Her gaze, now sharp and formidable, swept across each individual in the room.
“Is that perfectly clear!?”
The stakes for conquering an S-rank dungeon were astronomically high; failure was simply not an option, as the resulting losses would be utterly inconceivable.
“Understood!” the assembled adventurers roared in unison, their collective voices vibrating the very air around them.
Bai Xiao nodded, a flicker of satisfaction in her eyes, and continued, “Given the inherent perils of an S-rank dungeon, all monsters slain and all dungeon artifacts acquired during this expedition will remain the sole property of your respective squads.
The state will not impose any mandatory submission.”
All spoils of war would belong exclusively to their squads, to be distributed and utilized internally?
The revelation sent a shiver through the crowd; their previously solemn expressions instantly transformed, alight with unbridled excitement.
It was a well-known fact that any yield from an S-rank dungeon was invariably nationalized, never disseminated among the populace.
Whispers claimed that within these treacherous depths lay not only the familiar magic crystals and rare ores but also wondrous, arcane fruits.
These fruits, nurtured by the dungeon’s potent energies over extended periods, were rumored to possess the extraordinary power to unlock latent human potential.
In essence, consuming them could catalyze the evolution of one’s innate abilities!
While human abilities inherently held the capacity for advancement, achieving autonomous evolution was an exceedingly rare and arduous feat.
Consequently, a staggering ninety percent of humanity remained stagnant at the ability tier they possessed upon their initial awakening, throughout their entire lives.
“Excellent,” Bai Xiao remarked, a subtle smirk playing on her lips, “it appears you are all keenly aware of the immense fortune bestowed upon you by this selection.”
She offered no further words of encouragement, understanding that no rhetoric could stir the human heart more profoundly than the promise of untold riches within an S-rank dungeon.
“Your squad rosters have been distributed,” Bai Xiao announced.
“Please use this time to coordinate amongst yourselves.
The operation commences tonight!”
The dungeon’s interior was an alien realm, utterly disconnected from the outside world; thus, external time had no bearing on its environment.
With the dungeon’s teleportation portal now stable, immediate departure was scheduled once all teams had familiarized themselves.
The present interval was specifically designated for captains and their members to establish communication and strategy.
Aya Tone clutched the squad roster.
The very first line, emblazoned boldly, declared: Captain: Aya Tone.
‘My teammates, then…’ she mused, her gaze slowly descending the page.
Just then, a chorus of footsteps converged around her.
“Greetings, Senior Aya!”
Aya Tone lifted her head, her brow furrowing almost imperceptibly.
Seven men and two women?
“And who, pray tell, might you all be?”
“Senior Aya certainly has a way with humor,” a refined-looking young man named Lin Qingfeng interjected, deftly dissipating the initial awkwardness.
“We are, in fact, the members of your very own squad.”
At his words, Aya Tone slapped her forehead in a moment of self-reproach.
‘A night of confinement has clearly muddled my thoughts,’ she chastised herself.
Hadn’t Bai Xiao just announced that each S-rank adventurer would lead a squad?
And indeed, observing the rosters clutched in their hands, it was undeniably clear: these were her assigned teammates.
“Ahem, yes, well, I was merely jesting,” Aya Tone clarified, a slight cough escaping her lips.
“You’re all familiar with me by now, so perhaps it’s time for each of you to properly introduce yourselves.”
The roster in Aya Tone’s hand listed only a handful of names, devoid of any details regarding their unique abilities, power levels, or other pertinent information.
It was little wonder, then, that Bai Xiao had allocated such a generous period for everyone to become acquainted.
Lin Qingfeng was the first to step forward and elaborate on his powers.
“My ability is the A-rank Thunder Dragon,” he explained, “allowing me to either fully transform into a Thunder Dragon or independently wield the raw power of lightning.
In terms of strength, I classify myself as upper-middle A-rank.”
Following Lin Qingfeng’s lead, the remaining squad members began to introduce themselves sequentially.
What struck Aya Tone most profoundly was the revelation that one of the female members possessed the Sharingan as her innate ability.
‘Good heavens,’ she mused, ‘to think one could awaken powers directly from anime!’
Yet, upon further reflection, given her own status as a magical girl, another individual manifesting the Sharingan seemed hardly a remarkable occurrence.
“I believe I have a sufficient grasp of your individual abilities,” Aya Tone declared, clearing her throat before continuing, “therefore, I shall now outline our tactical approach.
When trouble arises, I will charge ahead, and your primary responsibility will be to safeguard my rear.
Furthermore, ensure you gather every single valuable item that presents itself.
Is that perfectly clear?”
Aya Tone’s strategy was deceptively simple: to plunge headlong into the heart of the enemy, relying solely on her own might!
While her offensive power might not rival Bai Xiao’s, her unparalleled endurance was her true advantage.
One must not forget that the S-rank dungeon in Yan’an City had been painstakingly worn down and conquered by her immense, sustained magical reserves.
Provided she had reliable support to cover her flank, Aya Tone could transform, without inhibition, into a devastating mobile artillery platform.
“Senior Aya, about this…” The others exchanged uncertain glances, their words trailing off as they processed a plan unlike any they had encountered before.
Misinterpreting their hesitation, Aya Tone assumed they feared she would monopolize the credit and withhold their rightful shares.
“Rest assured,” she quickly interjected, “once the funds are secured, every single one of you will receive an equal portion!
I would never shortchange my comrades.”
Observing Aya Tone’s demeanor, which bore an uncanny resemblance to a charismatic bandit leader, the objections forming on their tongues instinctively receded.
‘Ah, well,’ they collectively decided, ‘the captain is simply too endearing to argue with.
We shall simply ensure her safety.’
****
Charismatic Bandit leader. Snrk.