_________________________________________________________________________________________________________
If this kind of magic could really be spread around, wouldn't dungeon exploration become way easier?
Need a material? Just teleport straight to the floor where it drops!
"That's not magic," Gabriel corrected them with a small huff, "it's called Divine Step. The dungeon's barriers can't interfere with it."
It sounded like a casual explanation, but there was a faint sourness in her tone when she glanced at Rosen.
After all, Gabriel herself still couldn't use Divine Step perfectly every single time. Yet here was someone who pulled the skill from a group chat and instantly mastered it on the spot. Pretending she wasn't jealous was impossible.
Of course, she was fully aware that her own obsession with video games was part of the reason her training had stagnated. But give them up? That would feel worse than dying.
By now, the group had arrived at the area where the red dragon roamed. What stretched out before them was a massive stone-built city.
Towering spires rose into the air.Wide and narrow streets crisscrossed everywhere.There was no sunlight underground, but glowing plants and strange light sources bathed the ruins in a dim, eerie radiance.
Even in the gloom, they could roughly make out the layout of this dungeon floor.
"A whole city, this deep underground… unbelievable," Fubuki murmured in awe.
Compared to the metropolis she lived in, this was barely the size of a small town. But to find such a place buried under the earth—it was nothing short of a miracle.
"According to the old records," Marcille explained, "this was once part of the Golden Kingdom. The outer islands were also its territory. Nobody knows why, but it sank into the sea long ago, then later rose back up to the surface. That's when people discovered the labyrinth—and inside, the lost city of gold."
She gestured at the stone walls around them."They say every building here used to be covered in sheets of pure gold. But… well, centuries have passed. Anything valuable was stripped away long ago."
"As for the people who once lived here…" Marcille's voice trailed off. She suddenly remembered the scenes from the anime: the lingering spirits of the dead.
The labyrinth bound souls, keeping them from passing on. Most became restless ghosts wandering endlessly through the halls. Some retained reason, while others lost it entirely and turned into monsters.
Suddenly, Senshi the dwarf dropped flat to the ground, pressing his ear against the stone. His face tightened."Hide—quickly! The dragon's coming!"
Laios and the others didn't question how Senshi could tell just by listening. They just drew their weapons and dove into the nearest building for cover.
When they glanced back, however, they froze. Rosen and his party were still standing calmly in the open.
"Are you crazy?!" Chilchuck hissed in panic. "Get inside, now! The dragon will be here any second!"
Rosen turned to the others with a raised eyebrow.
Beside him stood Fubuki, Frieren, Gabriel, and Saeko Busujima—not exactly ordinary adventurers. One had psychic powers, another commanded legendary magic, one was a genetically enhanced fighter, and then there was the top graduate of heaven's academy.
Sure, in most stories a dragon was considered the ultimate foe, the apex predator.And the red dragon of this dungeon really was terrifying.
But strength always depended on the opponent.
Last time, Laios' team had been utterly crushed. If not for Farin teleporting them to safety, they would've been devoured on the spot—beyond resurrection.
Against this group, though?The red dragon was nothing more than a slightly tougher walking mushroom.
A low hum rippled through the air.
The dragon appeared in the distance, wings spread wide, over ten meters of crimson-scaled fury slicing through the air.
Its massive wings radiated power, every scale gleamed with magic resistance, and its roar carried a wave of crushing terror.
Even though it wasn't their first encounter, Laios and Chilchuck's hands shook as they gripped their weapons. The memory of nearly being eaten alive still haunted them.
But for Farin's sake, they forced themselves to stay firm.
Marcille clutched her staff, torn between two choices. Should she stay hidden with her team, or step forward alongside these mysterious newcomers?
"E-Everyone, just stay low for now," she stammered. "We need to think of a way to deal with it first!"
She didn't know how strong Rosen's group really was, and the dragon was almost upon them. In a few more seconds, it would spot them for sure.
"No need to overcomplicate it." Fubuki's voice was calm, almost casual. "It's just a dragon. In my world, monsters at 'dragon-level' are way scarier than this thing."
She flicked a glance at Marcille, then at Frieren and Rosen."They'd say the same. Beating a red dragon doesn't take any special strategy."
Her lips curved into a faint smirk."We've got simpler ways to handle it."
The confidence in her tone stunned Laios and the others. To speak so lightly under a dragon's pressure… it was hard not to believe her.
Maybe these otherworlders really did have power beyond anything they could imagine. After all, Marcille had asked them to help save Farin for a reason.
"As long as no one gets careless, any one of us could wipe it out," Fubuki added.
As if to prove it, a faint green glow spread across her body—the visible aura of her psychic powers.
Saeko frowned slightly, though. "That might be easy for you. I'm just a genetically enhanced human. Handling normal monsters is fine, but against a dragon… don't expect me to solo it."
Meanwhile, Laios and his team could only gape as Fubuki rose gracefully into the air.
Her fitted dress and coat snapped in the sudden gale that whipped around her. She raised her hands, drawing the storm tighter and tighter. Even chunks of stone from the ground were lifted and torn apart in the roaring winds.
Rosen and Frieren stepped back, the latter weaving a defensive spell to shield the rest. They were letting Fubuki have this stage.
The dragon noticed the disturbance immediately. With a deafening roar, it folded its wings and dove straight toward them.
Fubuki's lips curled into a cold smile. She crossed her arms, her psychic power twisting the storm into a towering tornado.
"..."
_________________________________________________________________________________________________________