Frostfire Legacy

Chapter 187: Unbelievable Pace!

Soon, midnight came.

At the dungeon's entrance, fewer and fewer people were present—adventurers who had just returned or those planning to enter. The Oni Uncle stood ever vigilant, as if he hadn't left his post for even one second.

Right then, the portal shone, indicating that someone was coming out.

The first to arrive was an orange rabbit beastman, Cassy, who quickly greeted the Oni Uncle with her usual tireless smile.

"Ah, Uncle! We're back~! And sorry, but please step back a little. Star's pulling a big cart!"

"Ou! Welcome back!" the Oni Uncle replied, stepping aside as she requested. "Did you have a large haul today? Good, good!" He praised them with a grin.

Cassy dashed back into the portal before emerging again. Behind her, Aster was pulling a large EM Cart, which was piled high with countless monster materials, nearly overflowing from the cart itself!

"These are...?" The Oni Uncle raised an eyebrow at the sight. "Weren't you on the 5th floor? Most of these loots, like the Green Wolf Pelt, are only available on the 6th floor!"

Cassy beamed proudly. "Ehehe, we're on the 7th floor now! We swept through the 5th and 6th floors~!"

"Seventh?!"

The Oni Uncle groaned in surprise. It was no wonder he was taken aback—Cassy had just admitted to clearing two floors in a single day!

"Unbelievable. Did someone in your party learn teleportation or warp magic?"

Such magic would dramatically shorten their travel time, especially through previously cleared floors. They could have simply moved to pre-defined coordinates managed by the guild.

"We don't have a magician, though..." Cassy replied awkwardly, scratching her head. "We just ran fast, that's all~!"

The Oni Uncle smiled and shook his head. He knew that even running at top speed through the 5th floor would take at least 18 hours. Adding the 6th floor would mean another 24 hours, yet they had returned in only 18 hours!

"Well, it's not my job to ask how you did it anyway. Congrats, kids!" He grinned, though it was clear he didn't believe Cassy's explanation.

"Thanks, Uncle! See you tomorrow~!"

While Cassy remained lively and energetic, the rest of the group looked utterly exhausted. Liz and Lory, in particular, were beyond worn out, having had to run at full speed whenever they were traveling on foot.

Tina, the tank, was also tired from fighting monsters more powerful than their party on the 6th floor. If it weren't for Aster and Argus backing her up, she might have needed a ride out on the cart.

Kali, however, was the most drained of all. She had tried to compete with Argus, racing to see who could kill more monsters in the shortest time. Although she didn't even come close to Argus's headcount, Kali had still racked up more kills than the rest of the girls combined. No wonder her level hit 16 first, while the others remained at level 15—even after Argus had one-shotted the 6th-floor boss.

"What should we do with the loot?" Kali asked, her voice heavy with exhaustion.

Since it was already midnight, the guild was closed, meaning they couldn't deposit the loot there. Moreover, the cart wasn't the only thing filled with spoils; their pouches were also stuffed to the brim.

Tina, looking at the piles of loot, quickly came up with a solution. "I'll call someone to collect it. There's a warehouse nearby where we can store everything."

She wasted no time, pulling out her phone and dialing a number. After a brief conversation, a car arrived in less than a minute, pulling up right in front of them.

"You, keep watch over the loot," Tina ordered one of the black-clad men who stepped out. "The collection team will be here in five minutes. Make sure nothing gets stolen."

With their pouches emptied of the unloaded loot, the pile nearly rivaled the one on the floating cart. The man assigned to guard it took one look and made a quick estimate. The pile was worth at least a hundred million!

"Please leave it to me, Princess Celestinya!" The man saluted, standing at attention.

With their loot in safe hands, the party began to disperse, ready to head to their respective lodgings… or so they thought.

"Aster... Can I stay at your place tonight?"

This sudden request caught everyone off guard, especially Aster. The speaker was Lory. While she had visited Aster's place before, she had never stayed the night. She usually left at the last moment.

"I'm fine with it, but..." Aster began, only to be interrupted.

"NO! I told you, darling is mine!" Tina growled, clinging to Aster. "Fuck off!"

Several minutes were spent trying to pry Tina off of Aster and get Lory to explain why she wanted to stay with him.

"Actually, I've been feeling like someone's been watching me these past few days. It's not just an ordinary peeping tom or stalker—I can sense a real threat to my life..."

Aster frowned, deeply concerned. "Cassy, Kali, Liz, have you noticed anything unusual around your lodgings?"

Cassy's ears drooped as she thought it over. "Huh? Hmm… I live near a busy street, so there's always a lot of noise."

Kali sighed. "I have, but I didn't think it was worth mentioning."

Kali worked for the government, so her security was tight. Aster assumed she hadn't raised any alarms because anyone targeting her would be met with swift and lethal force.

"So, Kali and Lory..." Aster sighed, realizing his suspicion was correct. "I'm sorry, but I think those are spies from the Anti-Human Movement. It looks like they're targeting you because of your connection to me."

Lory and Kali exchanged shocked glances. They both knew Aster was being targeted by the fanatical Anti-Human organization, but they hadn't expected to be dragged into the crossfire.

"Alright, I'll ask Magnus if you two can stay at the Twister Hotel for a while. It's the safest option."

Keeping them close was the best way to protect them!

"Then me too! I'll stay with darling tonight!" Tina declared.

"Oh, a sleepover again? Count me in~!" Cassy chimed in.

"I guess I can't let myself be left out. Sorry, Aster," Liz added with a smile.

"Alright, alright. Let me ask for permission first." Aster sighed as he pulled out his tablet.

Before he could even type a message, a notification popped up from Magnus. It didn't contain any text, just a single thumbs-up emoji.

"..."

The matter had been approved before he even had the chance to ask!